react-lifecycle-methods.md

React Component Lifecycle

Objectives

• What are lifecycle methods?
• Which ones can/should we use?
• Which methods/hooks are most important?

Notes

• What are lifecycle methods?

  • Moments in a component's life that allow you to perform actions
  • Needs to be a class component to use them!
  • Methods that EVERY component has
    • But doesn't HAVE to be 'used'

• Which ones can/should we use?

  • https://reactjs.org/docs/react-component.html#the-component-lifecycle

• Which methods/hooks are most important?

  • componentDidMount() !!!!!

    • Means component has been added to the DOM
    • Make your requests for DATA here => (AJAX requests)

  • render() !!!!!!

    • allows you to template using JSX

  • constructor()

    • Not always necessary

  • componentWillMount()

    • Not as important as it used to be
    • Specific use cases (server-side rendering)
      • 'This is the only lifecycle hook called on server rendering.'
    • AVOID making AJAX calls here